Henry Herbert Goss

Today it is mid February 2013 and I, Dr. Patrick James Goss, sit and ponder full of humility at nearly seventy seven years old at the privilege and opportunity given me to be able to relate a story of a man I admired in his time above all others.

Of course I am talking about my father Henry Herbert Goss, born at Liffey, Tasmania, Australia 24/11/1888 to Samuel and Elizabeth Goss.

My father after having along with his parents and nine siblings moved to Barrington, Tasmania in the early nineteen hundreds did on the ninth day of March 1916 enlisted to serve in The Great War, World War 1 at Sheffield, Tasmania and became Regimental number 202 in the all Tasmanian 40th Battalion A Company A.I.F.; his Unit embarked from Hobart, Tasmania on board HMAT A35 Berrima on 1st July 1916.

After a stop over in India my father arrived in France 23/11/1916. His Army Casualty Form indicates that from his arrival in France until he was severely and badly gassed on 25/08/1918 my father had had several minor casualties; records show he had returned to active duty in September 1918 and was again gassed and taken to England 07/11/1918/ and hospitalised.

He sailed from England bound for Australia 08/01/1919 and was duly discharged by 6th Military District on 10/04/1919. He married in October 1919 at South Spreyton to one Hazel Daphne Crack some 17 years his junior and beget fifteen healthy children a number of which followed in their father's footsteps and gave service to their Sovereign and Country; two in World War 2 and two from early 1950s, myself being one of them and still to this day I hold the rank of Lieutenant/Colonel.

My father also had five brothers that gave service in WW1 2095 Pte Alfred James Goss, 40th Bn, returned to Australia 12/05/1919;3966 Lance Corporal Francis (Frank) Goss, 52nd Bn, returned to Australia 26/09/1917; 6518 Pte George Goss, 12th Bn effective abroad ( still overseas; actual returned to Australia at the Governor General of Australia orders in 1921); 7995 Pte Arthur Ernest Goss, 12th Bn, returned to Australia, 22/09/1919 ( unfortunately Arthur had spent the last two and half years of his enlistment in hospital with V D); 3967 Pte Lambert (Bert) Gordon Goss, 1st Pioneer Bn, returned to Australia 04/05/1917.

My father was awarded three medals for his service; British War Medal; Victory Medal; 1914-1918 Star.

On the seventh November Nineteen Thirty Nine this same Henry Herbert Goss, my father at a tad over fifty enlisted in WW2, T255481, Pte in 6 Garrison Bn and was discharged as medically unfit sixth October Nineteen Forty One. His son Leonard (Bill) William Goss served overseas, was a Rat Of Tobruk lived through the siege and returned to Australia only to be accidently killed while on active service ( this is another story for another time) on 30/06/1942; His son Norman Henry gave service in WW2 in the Light Horse mainly in Darwin.

Sadly and to my horror this man, Henry Herbert Goss, my father, my friend, my mentor and a shoulder to cry upon departed this earth in July 1956 from a massive heart attack and was put to his well-earned rest in the Sheffield Cemetery and may his GOD and my GOD forever cradle him in HIS arms till we meet again OH! My loving father.